warning: contains panic attacks
since jungkook was fairly new to the city and taehyung barely ever went out for lunch, the two of them agreed to just simply grab something from the burger king neighboring the school campus.
jungkook kindly offered to pay for taehyung's food as well, to which taehyung kept refusing at first but eventually gave in with a small pout on his lips. ("i can pay for myself, you know," taehyung grumbled with arms crossed. jungkook shook his head before grinning down at taehyung. "just let me be a gentleman today, will you?" he retorted back playfully.)
taehyung settled for a simple, plain cheeseburger while jungkook practically ordered the entire menu.
jungkook sighed when taehyung threw him a skeptical look once they sat down on a booth. "eating the right amount of food everyday is crucial to maintaining a healthy body," he stated.
"how about you tell me that again when we're not at a burger king?" the older sarcastically suggested, unwrapping his burger.
jungkook chuckled, rolling his eyes and then took a large bite out of his burger in glee.
taehyung was about to do the same to his own burger, but he managed to suddenly catch a glimpse of something — or rather, someone — dangerously familiar from the corner of his peripheral vision.
no, it can't be. taehyung's eyes widened.
he turned his head quickly to the side so fast that one would fear that he may have gotten whiplash. "no," the lavendar-haired male froze in his seat, no longer hearing the loud chewing of jungkook or the obnoxious laughs from the women at the next table. his head was spinning, his heartbeat was quickening and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
the figure in the distance that taehyung's gaze was focused on soon turned around, and that's when taehyung's blood went cold.
immediately dropping his burger back down onto the tray, he clumsily got up from his seat and sprinted to the toilet without uttering a word. right after he locked himself into an empty stall, he collapsed onto the tiled floor beneath him and desperatedly gasped for air due to tightening lungs.
"no no no," he chanted, shaking fingers tugging harshly at his purple strands of hair. "no! why is he here? no. oh god, please no."
taehyung was so lost in terror that he didn't keep track of how long he has been in the washroom. thus, he didn't register someone entering the toilet quietly, nor register the gentle footsteps carefully making their way towards the stall he locked himself in.
when a few knocks on the wooden door sent vibrations against taehyung's back, he hurriedly rushed to the other corner of the stall and hugged his knees closely to his body whilst yelling out a panicked, "no! don't come here! no, get away from me!"
jungkook, who was standing on the other side of the door, felt his chest clench at how afraid the other sounded.
"tae?" jungkook called out as he knocked again, this time lightly, and frowning at the painful yet unstoppable weeps. "it's me, jungkook. are you in there?"
"j-jungkook?" taehyung echoed back weakly, followed by a couple of sniffles.
"yeah," the younger breathed out, feeling relieved that taehyung had even answered him. "i promise i'm not here to hurt you; heck, i would never think about hurting you, tae. just please open the door. please."
half a minute flew by without any response except for the broken cries of a student with lilac hair. "tae, i'm seriously worried. if you don't open the door, i swear i'm going to—"
the door suddenly creaked open, revealing a sight that jungkook wished he had never seen.
without wasting another second, jungkook pushed past the door. falling onto his knees beside taehyung on the floor, he wrapped his arms the tightest he could muster around taehyung, holding him as close as possible.
"cry however much you want, tae. i'll always be here," the taller of the two whispered softly. his free hand reached up to card through taehyung's messed up locks soothingly.
those words were the last things taehyung heard before his world faded to black.